Corn-husker.



No. 811,067. PATENTBD JAN. 30, 1906. M. M. & E. G. JOHNSGN.

CORN HUSKER.

APPLIoATxoN FILED APR. 2a, 1905.

MARTIN'M. JOHNSON AND EDWARD G. JOHNSON, OF MALTA, ILLINOIS.

CORN-HUSKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed April 28, 1905. Serial No. 257,891.

To all v7/1,0m it may cori/cern:

Beit known that we, MARTIN' M. JOHNSON and EDWARD G. JOHNSON, citizens of the United States,residing at Malta, in the county of Dekalb' and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Oorn-Husler, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in corn-huskers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of corn-huskers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device of great strength and durability designed primarily to form a rigid support for the wrist of the wearer to prevent the wrist from becoming sprained or greatly fatigued at the joint.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character adapted to support the hand and wrist from a point slightly in advance of the ball of the thumb to a point considerably above or in rear of the wrist-joint and capable also of affording free play of the ngers and thumb to permit the operator when the hook has pulled the husks away from the ear to grasp' the latter without making an extra motion ofthe entire hand or arm.

Another object of the invention is to enable the hook to be readily arranged at the palm, wrist, or thumb and to provide simple and effective means for firmly clamping the hook in its adjustment.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, pro portion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a corn-husker constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a hand. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cornhusker. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally of the supporting-plate. Fig. i is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the hook. v

Y Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a flexible band constructed of leather and adapted to extend around the wrist and the hand to a point below or in ad Vance of the ball of the thumb, and it is secured in position by means of straps 2 and 3 and buckles 4, hereinafter more fully described. f The corn-husker is provided with a supporting-plate 5, constructed of suitable metal and consisting of a substantially oblong body portion having a general longitudinal curve from its front edge to the wrist of the wearer to conform to the configuration of the hand and presenting a convex lower or inner face to the leather band, which forms a lining for the supporting-plate to prevent the same from coming in direct contact with the hand of the wearer. The front edge of the plate is curved, and the front end is provided with a lateral extension 6, which extends to a point slightly in advance of the ball of the thumb and which lies at the inner side thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings. The ball of the thumb is further protected by a laterally-projecting tongue or extension 7, which extends across the hand in rear ofthe thumb. The tongue 7 is curved transversely ofthe hand and presents a lower or inner coni cave face, and its outer end is provided with a slot 8 to receive the strap 3, which is looped around the outer side of the tongue, being secured at its inner end 9 to the inner face of the band 1 at the point of the front lateral extension 6 by a rivet 10 or other suitable fastening device. The strap 3 passes through the slot 8 of the tongue 7 from the inner or lower face of the latter and then extends to the adjacent side edge of the band l, which is provided with slots 12 for the reception ofthe straps 2 and 3.

The rear portion or extension 13 of the plate is substantially straight in longitudinal section, but is curved slightly in cross-section to conform to theconiiguration of the wrist, and it extends a considerable distance above the wrist-joint to afford a 'firm support for the wrist. The wrist-protecting portion or extension 13, which is rigid with the front portion of the plate 5, is adapted to prevent the wrist from bending at the joint and it will protect the same from injury and prevent the wrist from being sprained. The intermediate strap in practice is located at the Wrist-j oint, and the inner or upper strap is lo- IOO cated above the joint, so that the wrist is held firmly against the protecting-plate when the device is applied to the hand.

The plate is secured at its ends by corner rivets 10, 14, 15, and 16 and by intermediate rivets 17 and 18, located at the laterally-extending tongue 7 and at the opposite side edge of the plate. The fastening devices 15 and 16 are located at opposite sides of the end of the wrist-protecting portion or exten-A sion adjacent to the inner or upper edge of the flexible band.

T he plate is provided at its central portion with perforations 19 and 20, preferably arranged in two rows, as shown, and adapted to receive a screw 21 and a lug 22 of a hook 23, which is adapted to be adjusted longitudinally and transversely of the supportingplate. The lug 22 is located at one ofthe side edges of the shank of the hook and is formed integral with the same and is adapted to fit into a perforation of the plate for preventing the hook from turning on the screw 21. The shank 24 of the hook is flat and is provided with a threaded perforation 25 to receive the threaded portion of the screw. The head of the screw is arranged at the inner or lower face of the supporting-plate and the band is provided with a slit 26, extending transversely of the plate 5 and located adj acent to the perforations 19 and 20 for affording access to the head of the screw. The

perforations permit the hook to be arranged adjacent to the palm of the hand, the wrist, and the thumb, so that it may be in a position mo'st convenient for the operator.

The tongue 7 is arranged at an angle to the laterally-projecting front end of the plate, and a recess is provided to permit free play of the thumb. The front edge of the plate terminates above or in rear of the center of the palm, so that free play of the fingers and front or outer portion of the handv is permitn ted. By this construction and arrangement the operator after the husks have been pulled from an ear by the hook is enabled to grasp the ear without making an extra movement of the entire hand.

It will be seen that the corn-husker is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, and that it is adapted to afford a complete protection for the inner" portion of the hand and the wrist and will prevent the latter from becoming sprained. Also the supporting-plate is adapted to prevent the wrist from bending at the joint much of the fatigue incident to the work of a corn-husker will be avoided.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A corn-husker, comprising a flexible band, means for securing the band around the hand and wrist, and a late consisting of a substantially oblong bo y ortion having its front end extended latera ly at one side and provided in rear of such extension with a laterally-projecting tongue, the front half of the plate being also curved longitudinally to t the hand, and the rear half of the plate being substantially straight in longitudinal section to form a solid wrist-protecting portion, and being extended from a point below to a point above the wrist-joint to prevent the wrist from bending thereat.

2. In a corn-husker, the combination of a plate provided with perforations, a hook provided at one side of its shank with an integral projecting lug adapted to fit in a perforation of the plate, said shank being also provided with a threaded perforation, and a screw extending through a perforation of the plate and engaging the perforation of the shank.

`g 3. In a corn-husker, the combination of a plate having a plurality of perforations, a hook provided with a lug arranged to engage the perforation, said hook being also provided with a threaded opening, a screw extending through the plate from the inner face thereof and engaging the threaded perforation of the hook, and a flexible lining covering the inner face of the plate and provided with a slit adapted to afford access to the screw.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN M. JOHNSON. EDVARD G. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

T. ARTHUR JOHNSON, ANDREW J. JonNsoN. 

